Workplace Safety Consultation -- Industry best-practices

Manufacturing industry

Automatic pallet-wrapping machine improves efficiency

The robotic pallet-wrapping machine is capable of automatically wrapping plastic film around a pallet. This is done without worker supervision, allowing workers to perform other activities while the machine is operating. The machine has greatly reduced the amount of actual worker time spent wrapping pallets, increasing work efficiency within the department. Safety features are built into the unit to allow for automatic shutdown when a pallet is completed and if obstacles are detected during its operation.

The previous way pallets were wrapped was by using a handheld roller device that required workers to walk around the pallet until it was fully wrapped. The method was considered time-consuming. Obvious risk-factors included awkward body postures and force requirements for holding and manipulating the roller.

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Disclaimer: Photographs of commercially available products posted on this site are for reference purposes only and do not imply any endorsement by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. The best-practices ideas have been reviewed and posted solely at the discretion of the department and should only be considered as possible examples for reducing risk-factors, based on existing ergonomics guidelines. Employers and employees need to work together to identify and control ergonomics risk-factors within the workplace to better ensure changes made to a work process will be effective in reducing risk-factors and maintaining work efficiency.